In order to realize Kyoto University’s mission statement, “pursuing harmonious coexistence within the human and ecological community on this planet,” it is important to have contributions from the humanities and social sciences, which add perspective about “values and ethics” to natural science and technology. In addition, in order to promote the object of “disseminating the future of the humanities and social sciences” of the designated national university project, it is necessary to create new academic fields through new interdisciplinary research and research that integrates the humanities and sciences on issues of contemporary society. Therefore, under the framework of the Grant for Strengthening National University Reform, KRC invited applications for research projects from within the university on the following three themes based on the concept of “Well-being of People, Society and the Earth.”
The list of adopted proposals for the academic year 2021 is shown below.
1) Community and connection We invited applications for research topics related to the idea of communities as places where people live, and the various connections created through the activities in such places. Here, community was defined broadly, from local communities to workplaces and even communities in virtual spaces. In particular, this domain as a whole aimed to provide a comprehensive perspective on community and connection, including macro issues such as disparity, equilibrium, and the social capital that arises within communities, in addition to the well-being of individuals living within communities, as well as the interaction between these two levels.
2) Sustainability of people, society, and nature With the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change, we are entering an era in which the balance between humans and ecosystems, and the state of the economy and society are being fundamentally questioned. In light of this situation, we invited applications for research that would open up prospects for the future. In other words, such research would be conducted from the perspective of each level from the local to the national and further on to global society, and would bridge inquiry about human beings or nature with visions for society, to explore the ideal of a sustainable world from the integrated perspective of the humanities and sciences.
3) Contemporary development of Eastern wisdom In contrast to the Western stream of philosophy and science, which has objectified nature and sought individualization, in the East, there has been thought from the perspectives of nature, the other world, the universe, and nothingness since ancient times. It is considered that such Eastern thought can contribute to situations where a paradigm shift is required, for example, regarding contemporary environmental issues. Therefore, we invited applications for interdisciplinary research that would develop Eastern thought in our time, while honoring traditional wisdoms.
